Graphic Design Studio and Custom Letterpress Invitations
One of my favorite blogs to visit is The Design Blog. Their website provides me with never-ending inspiration in the areas of graphic design, industrial design, fashion, animation, etc. They provide daily posts and my absolute fave is Monday, Designer of the Week. The graphic designers that they choose are always off the charts. Here’s to hoping one day we will find A Day in May on there…
It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow which means we’ve all been inundated this week with heart-shaped cards and candies. The classic heart comes in all different sizes, colors and mediums, but one of our favorite expressions is from American artist Jim Dine. Dine has made thousands of hearts in his lifetime – from sculptures to paintings to sketches – and they are all very beautiful and very different.
Dine says “I use it as a template for all my emotions. It’s a landscape for everything.” What a sweet and inspiring thought as we share our hearts with our loved ones tomorrow.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
source: artsy.net/artist/jim-dine
We’ve often sent out Valentine cards instead of the traditional December holiday mailing. Here’s a favorite from a few years ago. With the help of Barbara Callow calligraphy (barbaracallow.com) we designed pop-out hearts that could be sent to your Valentine – sealed with a kiss, of course.
I was so inspired by this article I just read. Gaylord Schanilic combines all my loves – design, books and letterpress – and creates the most exquisite pieces of art. From the paper and type to the illustrations and bindery, every detail is done by hand. In an age where most people do their reading electronically and producing a book often takes only a few keystrokes, this was a wonderful reminder that some books that are meant to be held.
New York Times Article
Gaylord Schanilic Website
We just adore this whimsical children’s book called Wave. Using no words at all, and just two shades of watercolor, artist Suzy Lee’s beautiful and simple illustrations tell a joyful story of little girl’s day at the beach. I found myself smiling and laughing the whole way through.
Kristin and John were getting married at a gorgeous historical estate in Long Island called Oheka Castle – not unlike Gatsby’s home – so they knew they wanted to channel the roaring 20’s and go with an art deco aesthetic for their big day. We combined some chic ornamental patterns and a streamlined font with a glamorous palette of black, white and gold. The combination made for an exuberant and luxurious invitation suite. I have a feeling this was a roaring party!
Ok, guilty pleasure admission, I love HGTV’s show Fixer Upper. Watching Joanna and Chip take a house from ho-hum to wow in a single episode is really inspiring. As we continue with our own home renovations, I just love watching them work. Take a look at some of these great spaces they have created. I love the neutral palettes, textured design details and natural elements:
We are loving the resurgence of marble these days. The gorgeous, swirly pattern is not just appearing on kitchen and bathroom countertops anymore, but has expanded into textiles, graphic design, and in unexpected places throughout the house, too.
photo credit: pinterest
Kimmie and Tyler wanted a timeless, elegant wedding invitation for their special day – something that was soft and simple. We created a monogram “logo” encircled within a delicate floral wreath. A neutral gray and white palette kept it from being overly feminine and translated perfectly to the classic décor of their wedding day.
Event Planner: Laurie Arons
Photography: Meg Smith Photography
Catering: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering
Flowers and Furniture: Kathleen Deery Design
Invitations: A Day in May
I’m hooked! Making the chutney was so much fun – and such a terrific hostess gift to have on hand – that I decided to give “canning” another go. My friend Jocelyn has the most bountiful Meyer lemon tree imaginable and January is prime picking season. Preserved lemons are the easiest things to make: slice, salt and jar. And of course, no jar is complete without a proper label…
We love award season and gabbing about the best and worst dresses from every party. All the yellow coming down the red carpet this year really caught our eye. It was a reminder that yellow can be such a fantastic color in fashion and design. It’s not easy to pull off, but we think these women and these invitations are a bright success.
photo credit: E! Online, Hollywood Reporter
When Zin City Vineyards approached us about doing a wine label for their newest Zinfandel, we jumped at the opportunity. They wanted to play off the flash and glitz of Las Vegas. Our favorite projects are when clients want to move away from what’s expected. We went all in – complete with sexy legs, metallic high heels and neon red lights.
photo credit: carol vaziri
I’ve been looking around for the perfect wallpaper and recently stumbled upon Kreme. I am particularly taken with their Muse line. The designs are so fresh and fun and have this wonderfully subtle watercolor quality to them. Perfect for an accent wall or bathroom.
Rip + Tan is a favorite blog of ours for a daily dose of inspiration. Former fashion designer, Jenni Kayne focuses on a beautiful and stylish lifestyle. She touches on travel, cooking, parenting, home, art and design, and all with an emphasis on quality and ease.
Take a peak!
The annual 7×7 Weddings issue just came out and featured one of our favorite bride and grooms from 2014. Debbie and Mike wanted an SF-themed invitation design so we featured the skyline on a gray scale folder. Inside, the bright white printed pieces highlighted some more fun Bay Area icons – a cable car, the Ferry building, the Golden Gate… We tied the whole suite together with a gorgeous silver floral handmade paper for the envelope liner.
I spotted these “tents” while on vacation last week. How great would they be in a backyard or even better, in my kids’ room? Instant reading nook-hideout-fort and oh-so fantastic looking!
One of my New Year’s resolutions this year is to take the time to see more art. It could be a quick pop into a new museum exhibit, an afternoon of gallery hopping or simply perusing the internet.
Artsy.net is a great resource for this – making the world’s art accessible to anyone with an internet connection. You can follow your favorite artists and galleries, preview new shows and art fairs, or simply click and browse around.
Check it out… Artsy.net
Lizzie and Keith planned to marry at their gorgeous family home in Lake Tahoe and really wanted to create a balance between the rustic and the elegant. We decided to work with a natural palette of whites and browns but found ways to keep that from feeling too homespun.
For the save the date, we created a whimsical illustration of the couple’s favorite cabin and printed the card in tan letterpress on soft white paper. For the invitation, we flopped the colors, using white foil on a heavy kraft stock, and used only the image of the trees for the graphics. For an added layer of texture and elegance, we found a gold, handmade paper to use for the envelope liner. All the printed pieces are varied but the common colors and interwoven graphics tie everything together perfectly.
Event Planning: MAP Events
Floral Design: Radeff Design Studio
Photography: Catherine Hall Studios
Invitations: A Day in May
I recently took my daughter to a LEGO exhibit called “A BILLION BRICKS” in Stamford CT. The creativity blew me away. A few men basically locked themselves in a room for a couple weeks and built the most astounding 3-dimensional scene. It included trucks, spaceships, helicopters, ships, subways, dragons, full-speed trains, and a million interesting little LEGO people. And all of it, the entire imaginary world, was built out of the classic LEGO brick.
The holidays are officially over but we’re not saying goodbye to the flash and shine just yet. We love how a copper accent adds warmth to everything from an invitation to your kitchen sink…
